| Organization information | |
|---|---|
| Organization Name | Ladders of Hope USA, Inc. |
| Please tell us the amount of funding you are requesting Aware to raise for your organization from the Aware annual fundraising event. | $2,500 |
| If your organization received Aware funding in the previous years, how many clients were serviced and/or how many services were provided with those funds. If you receive Aware funding this current year, how many clients will be serviced and/or how many services will be provided with these funds? | Grant funds will be used in supporting the 187 families we service on a monthly basics. During 2024 the Food Pantry serviced 2249 families, of that 2248 children ages 1- 17, 3588 Adults, 1208 seniors that includes 152 Veterans for a total of 7044 persons. |
| Please provide a listing of the Officers and Board members of your organization. | President – Caroln Murray |
| Your Contact Information | Harry Adams |
| Phone | 708-603-9696 |
| Email hidden; Javascript is required. | |
| Scoring Criteria | |
| 1. Description of the Organization (maximum 5 points, please limit to ½ pages) | Ladders of Hope Food Pantry, located in Fennville MI is a non-profit organization dedicated to alleviating food insecurity for individuals and families in Allegan County. Since its establishment in 2012, the pantry has been operated by a dedicated team of volunteers who provide food and essential resources with dignity, respect, and confidentiality. As a proud member of the Allegan County Food Pantry Collaborative, Ladders of Hope is one of 15 pantries working together to serve the community and ensure that no one goes hungry. Looking ahead, the organization aims to expand its impact by increasing the size of its current facility to accommodate the growing need. Additionally, Ladders of Hope seeks to enhance its Kid Programs, which provide crucial support to children ages 1–17, ensuring that younger members of the community have access to nutritious food and essential resources. |
| 2. Funding Request (maximum 35 points, total, please limit to 1 page) | Ladders of Hope Food Pantry is seeking funding to support our general operations budget as we continue to serve individuals and families facing food insecurity in Allegan County. Our pantry is entirely volunteer-run, ensuring that all operational funds go directly toward acquiring and distributing food, maintaining pantry facilities, and expanding outreach efforts. No funds are allocated toward salaries, allowing us to maximize every dollar received toward direct community support. Our primary sources of income include: Food Donations – Regular contributions from Trader Joe’s of Kalamazoo, Hungry for Christ of Hamilton, and First Congregation Kitchen of Allegan provide a crucial portion of our food supply. Despite the generosity of our food partners, we must purchase supplemental food from Feeding America to meet the growing needs of our community. With increasing demand, additional funding is essential to ensure a steady supply of nutritious food, maintain operational efficiency, and expand our reach—especially to vulnerable populations such as children through our Kid Programs. With the support of West Shore Aware, we can continue our mission of providing food assistance with dignity, confidentiality, and respect, ensuring that no individual or family in Allegan County goes hungry. |
| 3. Funding Justification (maximum 40 points, please limit to 1 page) | Ladders of Hope Food Pantry is requesting funds from West Shore Aware to support our general operating budget, ensuring continued service to individuals and families experiencing food insecurity in Allegan County. This funding will cover essential expenses, including: General Utilities – Powering and maintaining eight freezers and four refrigerators necessary for food storage. Our annual operating expenses total approximately $40,000. Any funds received beyond these costs are allocated toward our building expansion fund to accommodate the growing demand for our services. The funding requested from West Shore Aware will cover only a portion of our operational costs. The remainder is sourced from: Food Donations (Trader Joe’s, Hungry for Christ, First Congregation Kitchen) Ladders of Hope does not receive government grants, and our funding primarily comes from private donations and community fundraising. If the full funding is not secured, we will not return the funds to West Shore Aware; instead, we will strategically allocate the awarded funds toward priority needs within our operational budget to ensure continued service to our clients. By securing support from West Shore Aware, we can enhance our outreach, maintain reliable food distribution, and continue our mission of serving the growing needs of Allegan County with dignity and care. |
| 4. Summary | The $2,500 in funding requested from West Shore Aware will contribute to our general operating budget and help support the ongoing expenses of Ladders of Hope Food Pantry. These funds will not cover the entire cost of our operations but will be a critical part of maintaining our services. Our primary expenses include utilities to power 8 freezers and 4 refrigerators, transportation costs for weekly food pickups, IT support, insurance, and costs associated with our Kids Programs, which make up 12.5% of our budget. These programs include providing birthday party boxes, back-to-school supplies, and Christmas gifts and clothes for children ages 1-17. |
| Application Agreement | This is an application, otherwise known as a Request for Funding (RFF), from
West Shore Aware. This RFF is a request from your organization to Aware, for Aware to host a
Fundraising Event for your organization. By completing this RFF, your organization is requesting to be considered by Aware’s membership for an Aware fundraising event to be held during the summer of this year, also known as the White Party.
If your organization is chosen for a fundraising event by the Aware membership, your organization will agree to the following terms and conditions for the said fundraising event. 1. Aware will be given and provided full credit for the fundraising event in all of you organization’s publicity and advertising for said event, to include but not limited to event posters, newspaper advertising, handouts, radio and television advertising for the event, and organizational announcements concerning the event. 2. Your organization will only use the funds raised by Aware from said event for the purpose described in the RFF submitted to Aware. 3. Your organization understands that West Shore Aware is a philanthropic organization of LBGTQ+ individuals and their supporters, and that the funds your organization receives from Aware will be coming from the West Michigan lakeshore community. 4. The funds received from Aware as a result of the fundraising event will be net, after expenses for said fundraising event are paid. 5. Aware may use the name of your organization in its own advertising and publicity as a recipient of funds.. 6. Your organization will supply Aware with written approval to hold, or be part of a fundraising event held by Aware. 7. West Shore Aware reserves the right to audit any organization that receives funding to determine whether the funds were used as described in its RFF. 8. Your organization will allow West Shore Aware to use you organization’s name on the West Shore Aware website. In addition, if your organization has a website, you will link that website to the West Shore Aware website and allow West Shore Aware to link to your organization’s site. West Shore Aware’s web site link must remain on your web site for a full year from the date of the monetary disbursement. Failure to do so will disqualify you from requesting future funding. Once you have completed the RFF and agreed to the aforementioned, please submit it. Please sign this document below, indicating acceptance of the aforementioned terms and conditions. By signing the document, you acknowledge your organization is a registered 501(C) 3 Charitable organization. |
| Signature | |
| Date | 02/09/2025 |
| Ready to Submit |
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